p. 13 | The Educational Convention by A. G. Daniells

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jul 7, 1910

The Educational Convention

By A. G. Daniells

It was my privilege to spend several days with our educational workers who were assembled in convention at Berrien Springs, June 10-20; and it is a pleasure to report to our people my impressions and observations while there.

The place chosen was ideal for such a gathering. The Berrien Springs school is on a fruit farm of two hundred seventy acres, on the bank of the St. Joseph River, far from the bustle and busy life of the world, and yet in close touch with the world, by means of the electric trolleys which run through the school farm each way every hour.

One hundred sixty-five delegates were present, and were entertained by the school. It was certainly a great task for the burden-bearers of the school to receive and entertain such a large company of guests immediately at the close of the school year, when they were weary with their labors, and needed rest. And yet the whole-hearted welcome accorded to all, the promptness and tact with which the guests were located, and the real home comforts and good cheer provided, reflected much credit upon the management of the school.

It was evident from the first that the

delegates did not regard this gathering as a holiday or a picnic recreation. The convention opened promptly at the hour appointed, and the work of the convention proceeded in a harmonious, thorough, hard-working fashion. It was gratifying to see the perfect unity with which the strong educational leaders from all our principal schools united in laying out plans of work, courses of study, and text-books to be used. It was most encouraging also to see that our educational workers had distinctly in mind the work of the third angel’s message, and the equipment necessary to qualify our young people for practical work. In harmony with this conception, special emphasis was given to the development of practical industries, and proper provision for the special lines of study needed to qualify our young people for the specific work of carrying forward the message.

It was interesting to compare the work of this convention with the previous conventions held in College View, Neb., in 1903 and 1906. In 1903 our educational workers came together from their several schools, where they had been working without any general, well-defined system of education. During the entire convention, it was necessary for a few of the most experienced leaders to work untiringly for an educational system based upon sound principles, harmonious and progressive, that could be applied generally throughout the denomination.

That proved to be a valuable meeting to our educational workers, and from that time the educational department has been able to do very effective work. Each convention that has been held has borne good fruit; and now, in 1910, the leaders of the important departments in our principal schools throughout the United States came together with a definite and united purpose, and, without friction and loss of time, did a work which we confidently believe will mark an important era in our educational history. All who were present at the convention seemed cheerful and hopeful, and I judge returned to their fields with renewed courage to press forward.

May the Lord greatly bless these faithful men and women, who are giving their lives to the great work of training our youth for service. Let us uphold them with our sympathy, our co-operation, and our prayers.

A. G. DANIELLS.